From Detroit: Some Democrats that really care about “the people”

Many of you probably thought the Kilpatrick story was over with the whole sexting scandal, but I got this update today. Additionally I was not aware that his mother was U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, whose ethics are such that her son and husband have no problem being at the center of a major crime.

A federal grand jury today indicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father and three former top aides on racketeering charges, accusing them of turning the mayor’s office into a criminal enterprise to enrich themselves, families and friends.

Besides the now-jailed former mayor, the 38-count indictment names his father, Bernard Kilpatrick, city contractor Bobby Ferguson, former top Kilpatrick aide Derrick Miller and former water department chief Victor Mercado in one of the largest public corruption investigations ever in the City of Detroit.

The 89-page indictment outlined four general areas of misconduct.

It said the defendants extorted money from municipal contractors, state and non-profit donors and engaged in bribery and extortion involving other public contracts and investments.

The indictment said that Ferguson kicked back at least $424,000 in cash and other items of value to the mayor and that Kilpatrick used more than $590,000 in cash derived from the conspiracy to pay his credit card bills, purchase cashier’s checks and clothing and repay loans.

Bernard Kilpatrick, the indictment said, deposited more than $600,000 in cash into his personal bank accounts. He was charged with three counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2004, 2005 and 2007.

The penalties for the charges laid out in the indictment range from three to 30 year in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, EPA Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigation Division